*ES0015.1*
February 19, 2024
ENGROSSED
SENATE BILL No. 15
_____
DIGEST OF SB 15 (Updated February 19, 2024 11:35 am - DI 116)
Citations Affected: IC 21-14; IC 22-2.
Synopsis: Veterans' benefits. Requires that the Indiana department of
labor consult with the Indiana department of veterans' affairs to create
and distribute a veterans' benefits and services poster. Provides that the
veterans' benefits and services poster must contain certain information.
Requires that Indiana employers with more than 50 full-time employees
(or their equivalent) display the veterans' benefits and services poster
in a conspicuous place. Repeals a provision concerning certain
disability ratings, as determined by the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs, and educational cost exemptions.
Effective: July 1, 2024.
Tomes, Glick, Young M, Niezgodski,
Doriot, Raatz, Vinzant, Buck,
Dernulc, Pol Jr., Randolph Lonnie M
(HOUSE SPONSORS — BARTELS, PACK, HOSTETTLER, HAMILTON)
January 8, 2024, read first time and referred to Committee on Veterans Affairs and The
Military.
January 16, 2024, reported favorably — Do Pass.
January 18, 2024, read second time, ordered engrossed. Engrossed.
January 22, 2024, read third time, passed. Yeas 46, nays 0.
HOUSE ACTION
February 6, 2024, read first time and referred to Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public
Safety.
February 19, 2024, amended, reported — Do Pass. Referred to Committee on Ways and
Means pursuant to Rule 127.
ES 15—LS 6125/DI 153 February 19, 2024
Second Regular Session of the 123rd General Assembly (2024)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
between statutes enacted by the 2023 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
ENGROSSED
SENATE BILL No. 15
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning labor
and safety.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 21-14-4-2, AS AMENDED BY P.L.112-2019,
2 SECTION 9, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
3 JULY 1, 2024]: Sec. 2. (a) Subject to this section and section 2.5 of this
4 chapter, subsection (b), an eligible applicant is entitled to enter,
5 remain, and receive instruction in a state educational institution upon
6 the same conditions, qualifications, and regulations prescribed for other
7 applicants for admission to or scholars in the state educational
8 institutions, without the payment of any educational costs for one
9 hundred twenty-four (124) semester credit hours in the state
10 educational institution.
11 (b) The maximum amount that an eligible applicant is exempt from
12 paying for a semester hour is an amount equal to the cost of an
13 undergraduate semester credit hour at the state educational institution
14 in which the eligible applicant enrolls.
15 (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter or another
16 law, a change in the criteria for or the amount of an exemption awarded
17 under this chapter enacted in the 2011 session of the general assembly
ES 15—LS 6125/DI 153 2
1 applies only to an individual who qualifies for an exemption under this
2 chapter because of a father or mother (or in the case of section 1(a)(1)
3 of this chapter, a related member) who enlisted or otherwise initially
4 served in the armed forces of the United States after June 30, 2011.
5 SECTION 2. IC 21-14-4-2.5 IS REPEALED [EFFECTIVE JULY
6 1, 2024]. Sec. 2.5. (a) This section applies to an individual who
7 qualifies as an eligible applicant under section 1(a)(3) of this chapter
8 because the individual's father or mother:
9 (1) enlisted or otherwise initially served in the armed forces of the
10 United States after June 30, 2011; and
11 (2) suffered a disability as determined by the United States
12 Department of Veterans Affairs.
13 (b) This section does not apply to an individual who:
14 (1) is an eligible applicant under section 1(a)(3) of this chapter;
15 and
16 (2) qualifies as an eligible applicant under section 1(a)(1) or
17 1(a)(2) of this chapter.
18 (c) Subject to subsection (d) and section 2(b) of this chapter, the
19 eligible applicant is entitled to a reduction in the educational costs that
20 would otherwise apply as follows:
21 (1) If the individual's father or mother suffered a disability as
22 determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
23 with a rating of eighty percent (80%) or more, the individual is
24 entitled to a one hundred percent (100%) reduction in education
25 costs.
26 (2) If the individual's father or mother suffered a disability as
27 determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
28 with a rating of less than eighty percent (80%), the individual is
29 entitled to a reduction in education costs equal to the sum of:
30 (A) twenty percent (20%); plus
31 (B) the disability rating of the individual's father or mother.
32 (d) The latest disability rating determined by the United States
33 Department of Veterans Affairs for an individual's father or mother
34 shall be used to compute the percentage by which education costs are
35 reduced under this section. If the disability rating of the individual's
36 father or mother changes after the beginning of an academic semester,
37 quarter, or other period for which educational costs have been reduced
38 under this section, the change in disability rating shall be applied
39 beginning with the immediately following academic semester, quarter,
40 or other period.
41 SECTION 3. IC 22-2-19 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE AS
42 A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
ES 15—LS 6125/DI 153 3
1 1, 2024]:
2 Chapter 19. Veterans' Benefits and Services Information
3 Sec. 1. (a) As used in this chapter, "department of labor" refers
4 to the department of labor created by IC 22-1-1-1.
5 (b) As used in this chapter, "department of veterans' affairs"
6 refers to the Indiana department of veterans' affairs established by
7 IC 10-17-1-2.
8 Sec. 2. The department of labor shall consult with the
9 department of veterans' affairs to create and distribute to
10 employers described in section 4 of this chapter a veterans' benefits
11 and services poster.
12 Sec. 3. The poster described in section 2 of this chapter must
13 contain:
14 (1) information concerning benefits and services available to
15 veterans, including:
16 (A) substance abuse and mental health treatment;
17 (B) federal disability compensation;
18 (C) educational resources;
19 (D) employment and reemployment rights;
20 (E) tax credits, exemptions, and refunds;
21 (F) Indiana veteran driver's licenses and photo
22 identification cards;
23 (G) free or low cost legal assistance; and
24 (H) minority veteran resources; and
25 (2) contact information for the following:
26 (A) The United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
27 (B) The department of veterans' affairs.
28 (C) The Veterans Crisis Line.
29 Sec. 4. Every employer under the jurisdiction of the department
30 of labor with more than fifty (50) full-time employees (or their
31 equivalent) shall display the poster distributed under section 2 of
32 this chapter in a conspicuous place where employees are employed.
ES 15—LS 6125/DI 153 4
COMMITTEE REPORT
Madam President: The Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs and
The Military, to which was referred Senate Bill No. 15, has had the
same under consideration and begs leave to report the same back to the
Senate with the recommendation that said bill DO PASS.
(Reference is to SB 15 as introduced.)
TOMES, Chairperson
Committee Vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0
_____
COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. Speaker: Your Committee on Veterans Affairs and Public
Safety, to which was referred Senate Bill 15, has had the same under
consideration and begs leave to report the same back to the House with
the recommendation that said bill be amended as follows:
Page 1, between the enacting clause and line 1, begin a new
paragraph and insert:
"SECTION 1. IC 21-14-4-2, AS AMENDED BY P.L.112-2019,
SECTION 9, IS AMENDED TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
JULY 1, 2024]: Sec. 2. (a) Subject to this section and section 2.5 of this
chapter, subsection (b), an eligible applicant is entitled to enter,
remain, and receive instruction in a state educational institution upon
the same conditions, qualifications, and regulations prescribed for other
applicants for admission to or scholars in the state educational
institutions, without the payment of any educational costs for one
hundred twenty-four (124) semester credit hours in the state
educational institution.
(b) The maximum amount that an eligible applicant is exempt from
paying for a semester hour is an amount equal to the cost of an
undergraduate semester credit hour at the state educational institution
in which the eligible applicant enrolls.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter or another
law, a change in the criteria for or the amount of an exemption awarded
under this chapter enacted in the 2011 session of the general assembly
applies only to an individual who qualifies for an exemption under this
chapter because of a father or mother (or in the case of section 1(a)(1)
of this chapter, a related member) who enlisted or otherwise initially
served in the armed forces of the United States after June 30, 2011.
ES 15—LS 6125/DI 153 5
SECTION 2. IC 21-14-4-2.5 IS REPEALED [EFFECTIVE JULY
1, 2024]. Sec. 2.5. (a) This section applies to an individual who
qualifies as an eligible applicant under section 1(a)(3) of this chapter
because the individual's father or mother:
(1) enlisted or otherwise initially served in the armed forces of the
United States after June 30, 2011; and
(2) suffered a disability as determined by the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs.
(b) This section does not apply to an individual who:
(1) is an eligible applicant under section 1(a)(3) of this chapter;
and
(2) qualifies as an eligible applicant under section 1(a)(1) or
1(a)(2) of this chapter.
(c) Subject to subsection (d) and section 2(b) of this chapter, the
eligible applicant is entitled to a reduction in the educational costs that
would otherwise apply as follows:
(1) If the individual's father or mother suffered a disability as
determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
with a rating of eighty percent (80%) or more, the individual is
entitled to a one hundred percent (100%) reduction in education
costs.
(2) If the individual's father or mother suffered a disability as
determined by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
with a rating of less than eighty percent (80%), the individual is
entitled to a reduction in education costs equal to the sum of:
(A) twenty percent (20%); plus
(B) the disability rating of the individual's father or mother.
(d) The latest disability rating determined by the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs for an individual's father or mother
shall be used to compute the percentage by which education costs are
reduced under this section. If the disability rating of the individual's
father or mother changes after the beginning of an academic semester,
quarter, or other period for which educational costs have been reduced
under this section, the change in disability rating shall be applied
beginning with the immediately following academic semester, quarter,
or other period.".
Renumber all SECTIONS consecutively.
and when so amended that said bill do pass.
(Reference is to SB 15 as printed January 17, 2024.)
ES 15—LS 6125/DI 153 6
BARTELS
Committee Vote: yeas 10, nays 0.
ES 15—LS 6125/DI 153